


Shadows

by SareksMenagerie



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Anxiety, Depression, Gen, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Tarsus IV
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-26
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-20 06:06:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11914776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SareksMenagerie/pseuds/SareksMenagerie
Summary: Sarek and Amanda adopt two orphaned survivors of Tarsus IV without completely understanding what they're getting their family into. Macha and Jaylah may seem like complete opposites -- Macha withdraws when she feels threatened while Jaylah lashes out; Macha bottles up her emotions while Jayla uses them as fuel. But on an unfamiliar planet surrounded by people who frown on any display of emotion the two newfound sisters realize they must work together if they're to make it very far.Set in The Original Series timeline.





	1. The Science of Dreamcatchers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TFALokiwriter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TFALokiwriter/gifts).



_The viewscreen lit up on its own, inviting the governor into their previously peaceful home. His weathered face appeared on Macha's Padd too, replacing the black-and-white dreamcatcher image she'd been coloring._

_"The revolution is successful," Kodos announced, "But survival depends on drastic measures. Your continued existence represents a threat to the well-being of society. Your lives mean slow death to the more valued members of the colony. Therefore, I have no alternative but to sentence you, Wichahpi Lawson, to death. Your execution is so ordered, signed Kodos, Governor of Tarsus IV."_

_The screens clicked off as suddenly as they had come on. The small girl stared at the partly colored dreamcatcher before turning to her mother._

_"Mommy, what does that mean?" Macha's voice wavered and she hid behind her hair._

_Macha knew full-well what the announcement meant. Right? Maybe it was a prank. Probably her cousin Jack thought it was real funny to hack all their electronics. That had to be it. Obviously! Her mother was important. And Kodos wouldn't really do that right? She was gonna punch Jack next time she saw him. What a mean trick!_

_"It's not a prank," Macha cried, rushing into her mother's arms._

_"Shh, don't you worry, Macha. It just means you're going to stay with your cousin for a little while, okay?" her mother explained. How was she so calm?!_

_"No! I want to stay here with you."_

_"I know darling, I know. I need you to listen to me, okay? You're going to stay with Jack for a little while. Do whatever he says, alright?"_

_Macha shook her head. Her eyes burned with tears that refused to fall._

_"No, baby, listen to me. Listen to Jack. He will take care of you. When the supply ships come I want you to go to them, okay? Do you understand? You and Jack must go to the supply ships when they land."_

_"Where are you going? Mommy, where will you go?"_

_A single tear slipped free and hit her mother's cheek. One tear turned into two, to four, each one taking a piece of her mother with it. Her mother was dissolving before her eyes._

_"Mom!" Macha screamed, trying not to lose her grip on her mother's waist but she just dissolved at her touch. "MOM!"_

 

THUD. 

 

      " _Lights!_ " Macha shrieked as she hit the floor. The lights were harsher than she expected. Macha used a corner of her blanket to rub the sweat out of her eyes. 

      "All this and you still believe in your dreamcatchers?" a pale young woman stood in her doorway, arms crossed. 

      "Shut up, Jaylah," Macha replied with as much fortitude as her shaky voice could muster. 

      "Want me to stay up with you?"

      Macha put up two dreamcatchers that had followed her descent from the bed to the floor. "You don't believe in meditation."

      "I believe in the night horses. I will make you tea?"

      "Yeah, okay. Thanks, Jay."

      Then she was gone, leaving Macha alone with her thoughts.  _Great._


	2. The Science of Tea

      Sugar. Sugar. Cream. Sip. 

      "Macha, we must leave for school in six minutes."

      "I know."

      "It seems a bit late to have a cup of tea."

      "You don't know my life, Spock. What you _do_ know is not to talk to me before my morning cup."

      "Tea has proven to have many health benefits, however a 'morning cup' or lack thereof does not significantly impact the quality of breakfast conversation," Spock argued. 

      Macha narrowed her eyes. "A 'morning cup' contains caffeine and sugar to jump start my human systems, hydration is _very_ necessary when you've just fasted for eight hours, and it tastes good which just so happens to cheer up my silly human mind."

      "You know I consider you to be my intellectual equal, Macha. I have never found you to be--"

      "Children," Sarek finally interceded, "You may have forgotten in your haste to one-up each other, but you must leave for school."

      Spock immediately stood and placed his dishes in the sink. Macha frowned at her full cup of tea.

      "Jaylah's not even up yet," Macha commented. 

      "Jaylah stayed up all night making sure you were fine," Amanda reminded her, "She is older than you and less adequately equipped for a proper Vulcan schooling. Sarek and I will be teaching her all she needs to know here."

      "You could teach both of us here," Macha grumbled. "After all, we're both freaks."

      "I am going to school. Are you going to join me?" Spock looked pointedly at Macha. 

      "I don't know, am I going to flunk out?"

      "With that attitude, yes."

      "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."

      Macha took her scarf off the peg by the door and wrapped it around her neck. Spock opened the door to usher her out but she hesitated. 

      "Are you missing something?" he asked. 

      "First day of school, right?" she laughed awkwardly, " . . . It's nothing. My mom would always . . . yeah. Whoo! I'm ready. We going or not?"

      "We are going," Spock confirmed. 

      "Good luck, Macha. You will be fantastic," Amanda smiled. 

      "Luck," Macha turned away and rubbed away a stray tear with a corner of her scarf, "Is illogical." 

      ShiKahr was pretty enough, Macha supposed. The city was arranged in a perfect circle in the middle of the desert -- not that that was unusual, most of Vulcan was desert. There were mountains in the distance, but other than that the landscape was pretty flat. The buildings were taller than any she'd seen on Tarsus IV, not to mention completely free of any graffiti. That was a good thing in theory, but in practice everything looked rather monotonous. It couldn't hurt to brighten it up a little, could it? 

      "T'nar pak sorat y'rani," Macha muttered, "T'nar pak sorat y'rani. T'nar pak so--"

      "You have a very good grasp of the Vulcan language, Macha. You have no reason to rehearse."

      "Oh, language, sure. Traditions, on the other hand? No way! They're two very different things."

      "You fret too much, Macha," Spock paused, "'Dakh pthak. Nam-tor ri ret na'fan-kitok fa tu dakh pthak.'" 

      Macha half smiled and crossed her arms. "Ni'droi'ik nar-tor,ri stariben nash-veh Vuhlkansu."

      Spock took a deep breath and closed his eyes, appearing for a second to be almost exasperated. " _Macha._ "


End file.
